Body Image in the Age of Social Media

In today’s day and age, we are all very aware of media concerns regarding all types of topics. The one that truly stands out to all ages is a person’s body image on social media. Images of women are everywhere because of celebrities and influencers. Popular film and television actresses are becoming younger, taller and thinner. Women’s magazines are full of articles urging that if you can just lose those last twenty pounds, you will have it all. 

From the looks of it on social media, being the “ideal model figure” can get you the perfect life. 

The age of Snapchat and Instagram has perpetuated the notion that to have the ideal life you must have the ideal body type. 

On social media body image issues “[have] been documented in children as young as three, but it is adolescents who appear to be most at risk for developing unhealthy attitudes towards their bodies based on this perception. At a time where young people are focused on developing their individual identities, they are also highly susceptible to both social pressure and media images, which can have a profound effect on how they see their bodies.” 

We live in a world now where social media has a hold on our lives. It tells us how we should look and what we should do. Social media also tells use what we should post to catch the eye of our followers. In this world, media images fuel unrealistic expectations on how we really should look. We allow that to happen ourselves. 

This media issue does not only impact women, but surprisingly enough it also takes a toll on men. Today’s expectations are that guys have to be nonchalant when it comes to their physiques. This nonchalance makes body dissatisfaction in boys more difficult to assess, but media representations of idealized masculinity certainly affects men. 

As social media has made youth more active media makers- as well as consumers- boys have become more conscious of their own appearance. Not only do the idealized male bodies men see in media fuel body dissatisfaction, but the idealized images of women do as well.

When choosing this topic I understood the connection with media literacy. We conceptualize media literacy education as a way to address the negative dimensions of media, including media manipulation, and misinformation. 

Social media can negatively affect body image by over-exposing you to “idealized” body types. While posting selfies may help body image, trying to edit out perceived flaws can be harmful. 

To reduce harm on social media, unfollow accounts, find a healthy community, and take breaks. Media literacy helps body image by recognizing the unrealistic nature of media images. We can reduce the internalization of body, weight, and shape ideals. In turn, reduce the risk of developing disordered eating patterns and eating disorders.